care
noun
a state of mind in which one is troubled; worry, anxiety, or concern.
care
1 American
[kair]
/ kɛər /
noun
-
cares
plural
-
a state of mind in which one is troubled; worry, anxiety, or concern.
He was never free from care.
-
a cause or object of worry, anxiety, concern, etc..
A massage is an excellent way to forget your cares for a little while.
Their son has always been a heavy care to them.
-
serious attention; solicitude; heed; caution.
She devotes great care to her work.
-
the provision of what is needed for the well-being or protection of a person or thing.
He is under the care of a doctor.
With proper care, the watch will last a lifetime.
-
temporary keeping, as for the benefit of or until claimed by the owner.
He left his valuables in the care of friends.
Address my mail in care of the American Embassy.
-
grief; suffering; sorrow.
verb (used without object)
-
cares,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cared,
past participle, past
-
caring
present participle
-
to be concerned or solicitous; have thought or regard.
You can just tell she cares for people's feelings by the way she talks to them.
-
to be concerned or have a special preference (usually used in negative constructions).
I don't care where we go, I just want to get out of town for a bit.
-
to make provision or look out (usually followed byfor ).
Will you care for the children while I am away?
-
to have an inclination, liking, fondness, or affection (usually followed byfor ).
Would you care for dessert?
I don't care for him very much.
verb (used with object)
-
cares,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cared,
past participle, past
-
caring
present participle
-
to feel concern about.
He doesn't care what others say.
-
to wish; desire; like.
Would you care to dance?
verb phrase
idioms
-
take care,
-
be alert; be careful.
Take care that you don't fall on the ice!
-
take care of yourself; goodbye: used as an expression of parting.
-
-
take care of,
-
to watch over; be responsible for.
to take care of an invalid.
-
to deal with; attend to.
I'll take care of the bill, and you can go out and get the car started.
-
-
couldn't care less, could not care less; be completely unconcerned: Also could care less.
I couldn't care less whether she goes to the party or not.
CARE
2
American
[kair]
/ kɛər /
Or
Care
noun
care
1
British
/ kɛə /
verb
-
(when tr, may take a clause as object) to be troubled or concerned; be affected emotionally
he is dying, and she doesn't care
-
(intr; foll by for or about) to have regard, affection, or consideration (for)
he cares more for his hobby than his job
-
to have a desire or taste (for)
would you care for some tea?
-
to provide physical needs, help, or comfort (for)
the nurse cared for her patients
-
(tr) to agree or like (to do something)
would you care to sit down, please?
-
I am completely indifferent
noun
-
careful or serious attention
under her care the plant flourished
he does his work with care
-
protective or supervisory control
in the care of a doctor
-
(often plural) trouble; anxiety; worry
-
an object of or cause for concern
the baby's illness was her only care
-
caution
handle with care
-
Usual abbreviation: c/o. at the address of: written on envelopes
-
social welfare made the legal responsibility of a local authority by order of a court
CARE
2
British
/ kɛə /
acronym
-
Cooperative for American Relief Everywhere, Inc.; a federation of US charities, giving financial and technical assistance to many regions of the world
-
communicated authenticity, regard, empathy: the three qualities believed to be essential in the therapist practising client-centred therapy
care
More Idioms
Usage
Couldn't care less, a phrase used to express indifference, is sometimes heard as could care less, which ought to mean the opposite but is intended to be synonymous with the former phrase. Both versions are common mainly in informal speech.
Synonym Usage
To take care, pains, trouble (to do something) implies watchful, conscientious effort to do something exactly right. To take care implies the performance of one particular detail: She took care to close the cover before striking the match. To take pains suggests a sustained carefulness, an effort to see that nothing is overlooked but that every small detail receives attention: to take pains with fine embroidery. To take trouble implies an effort that requires a considerable amount of activity and exertion: to take the trouble to make suitable arrangements.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
caresimple
-
caressimple
-
have caredperfect
-
has caredperfect
-
am caringprogressive
-
are caringprogressive
-
is caringprogressive
-
have been caringperfect progressive
-
has been caringperfect progressive
Past
-
caredsimple
-
had caredperfect
-
was caringprogressive
-
were caringprogressive
-
had been caringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of care1
First recorded before 900; Middle English noun care “sadness, sorrow, grief,” Old English caru, cearu, cognate with Gothic kara, Old High German chara “lament”
Origin of CARE2
First recorded in 1945–50; shortening of C(ooperative for) A(merican) R(elief) E(verywhere)
Explanation
To care is to feel concern, and care is attention given, tending, or upkeep. If you care about how your garden grows, you will take care to water it often, remove weeds, and talk to your plants about the weather. Care can be a noun or a verb. As a noun, it originally had the sense of “sorrow, anxiety” or “serious mental attention,” and now means “oversight, protection.” If you have a fragile package, you might write "handle with care" on the box. As a verb, care means “to feel concern or interest” — as in, "If you care about your health you'll put down that cigarette!" If someone says she "couldn't care less," then she does not care at all.
Vocabulary lists containing care
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The health care sector has buoyed the US labor market over the last year, with more Americans aging and requiring medical assistance.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
I am the closest family member, so I’ve been taking my brother to treatments, helping manage his care and maintaining his property.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Find insight on Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk and more in the latest Market Talks covering health care.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Towle, who was moved to hospice care earlier this week, had over a million followers on TikTok and over 200,000 on Instagram.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
“Lexie, your dad can take care of himself. You have a test today.”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
"If large numbers of rescued dogs had entered adoption programmes, animal groups like us would know about them," said Kim Young-hwan, a representative of animal rights group CARE.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
Other organisations to be suspended include CARE, Medico International and Medical Aid for Palestinians.
From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2025
Before the coup, nearly 3 million people were facing severe food insecurity and hundreds of thousands were internally displaced, according to CARE, an international aid group.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 19, 2023
At least one aid group, CARE, said that its team had been forced to briefly retreat from Kherson because of increased shelling and artillery attacks in the city.
From New York Times ● Jun. 8, 2023
In January 1996, Fischer led a high-profile fund-raising ascent of Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, that netted half a million dollars for the charity CARE.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
“If you can hitch your wagon to his horse,” Manson said, “who cares how long it takes?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Her advice is to "test your idea with your target market before you go too far down the road of investing in something nobody cares about but you".
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Here is the part your wealth statement actually cares about.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
When life has lost its spark, who cares if it’s “real” or not?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
I don’t think she cares if it does or not.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
"Vulnerable children deserve to be safe and properly cared for, and I want to see more action of this kind," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
“Tariffs is probably the key policy issue for this President. I mean, something he campaigned on, he ran on, he cared an enormous amount about,” Justice Kagan said, according to Politico.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
"Knowing how it felt not to be cared for, he devoted his life to caring for others," she explained.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
As a Mexican American, I cared enough about Mexico’s perpetually heartbreaking El Tri squad to watch their runs and sigh about how we’ll always have it harder than most.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
I was not safe, and neither was anyone who cared about me.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
"I hope I have made a difference for other parents who are trying to balance work and caring responsibilities."
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Mammals appear to use some of the same neuropeptides when caring for their young.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026
He pleaded with Simpson to keep caring for them and sent sporadic payments totaling close to $10,000, plus reimbursement for breast milk, according to court records.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
“Our elected and business leaders are responsible for caring for our communities, and we are counting on them to move faster.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
“He had problems, possibly certain childhood traumas that had affected him. He was misunderstood. Underneath I think he was a caring and sensitive person.”
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
